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“Our cafés fill the role of old British pubs: places to meet people, hear community news and have a nice sit-down meal.” —Jeans and Derrick Owens, Owners
Photo by Corey Miller.
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Java Jacks, Tappahannock. Photo by Corey Miller.
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Egg-Spresso Café, Warsaw. Photo by Corey Miller.
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Experience Java Jack’s and Egg-Spresso Café and their welcoming vibes, vintage tablecloths and a generous menu that appeal to many palates. Photos by Corey Miller.
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Taste test the coffee flights, all-day breakfast, kids’ meals, sandwiches, burgers and salads. Photo by Corey Miller.
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Derrick says, “Our signature dessert is white chocolate blueberry bread pudding and I’ll warn you now, it’ll change your life." Photo by Corey Miller.
Coffee flights will get you noticed. Post about them on social media and you may even get a global response.
When coffee flights landed at Java Jacks Café in Tappahannock, the response was enthusiastic and far-reaching, with even a British caffeine-lover posting that now she had a reason to visit the U.S.
Flights range from simple— cold brew, vanilla iced latte shaken, fancy iced caramel crunch and iced caramel macchiato—to fanciful—strawberry shortcake, caramel praline, lavender macaroon and raspberry chai—and, perhaps best of all, are also now available at Egg-Spresso Café in Warsaw.
Owners Jeans and Derrick Owens married in 1996 and 10 years later bought Jeans’ grandparents’ house and moved to Tappahannock. Derrick, who worked in the technology industry in Richmond, had always wanted to own a little eatery. “I was looking for tangibility in my work and not getting it with my job because my desk never looked any different,” he says with a laugh. “I love cooking and great food and besides, who doesn’t want to own their own restaurant?”
In 2018 they heard that Java Jacks was up for sale and spent the next six months negotiating the purchase. Just like that, they were the restaurant owners Derrick had aspired to be.
Turns out their timing couldn’t have been better. Since Tappahannock received the Main Street designation in September 2020, Town Council has been busy adopting the Central Park master plan for its 2-acre downtown park.
Because providing safe boating access is a critical part of the rural coastal economy, Council also adopted the Hoskins Creek Park master plan for its waterfront park, featuring public canoe and kayak launches and takeouts as well as transient boating with the installation of a dock for boat access to the property. Construction on both projects is slated to start later this year.
Central Park is designed to feature pickleball courts, a Splashpad and a kids’ area, making it a destination for all ages. Java Jacks will be a short walk away, making it an easy stop-off point for hungry locals and visitors headed to the park. Six different kids’ meals will be added to the menu and offered in packaging geared for transport and outdoor eating. “The park is going to be as big a draw as the one in Warsaw,” Jeans predicts. “There’s nothing else like it in town, so it’ll be filling a real need.”
Although the waterfront Hoskins Creek Park will be located farther away from Java Jacks, the couple expects to see an uptick in business from people using it. “Anything that draws people into town is beneficial to the businesses along the main road,” Derrick says. “Capitalizing on that is a great win for all of the businesses here.”
Once Jeans and Derrick had Java Jacks up and running like a clock, Jeans managed the restaurant and Derrick assisted with its operation around his full-time job. Deep down, he knew he wanted to leave his technology career, but that would require opening a second restaurant. “We knew we wanted another,” Derrick recalls. “We just didn’t know where or when.”
That’s when Providence stepped in to answer both those questions. Last July, the town of Warsaw approached them about opening a second café there in the former Chesapeake Donut space, a location they both knew and thought was “super nice.”
Derrick and Jeans were relaxed and rested, just back from vacation, and despite having their hands full with children and Java Jacks, couldn’t find a reason not to take the space. “We’d watched Warsaw grow, so we knew how business-friendly they were,” Jeans says. “The building was excellent, the incentives were great and the location was perfect, so we jumped on the opportunity. And with a park next door, it was impossible to say no.”
Both cafés have a welcoming vibe, with vintage tablecloths, colorful chairs and a generous menu that appeals to many tastes. Breakfast is served all day, every day, and the six kids’ meals are already popular sellers at Egg-Spresso, made for taking to the park.
Because the addition of Egg-Spresso wasn’t part of some grand plan, Jeans and Derrick have been incredibly busy since opening their second location on November 14, 2023. Warsaw is known for its abundance of holiday events and attendees quickly discovered the charming little café with coffee flights, breakfast all day, sandwiches, burgers and salads. “People have been so welcoming,” Derrick says. “We had to keep telling ourselves that every day won’t be as busy as a Sunday, but a lot of them were.”
Looking ahead to 2024, the couple plans to establish best practices for both eateries so that the workflow makes sense for all involved. Derrick, a foodie and Egg-Spresso’s cook, also intends to further develop the menus’ specials and dessert options.
Often dishes such as the Nashville Hot Chicken begin as specials and wind up on the regular menu once customers make clear it’s a winner and something they want to order regularly. Eggs Alaska, a version of eggs Benedict using smoked Alaskan salmon, and the Northern Neck spinach salad both began life as specials. “Our signature dessert is white chocolate blueberry bread pudding and I’ll warn you now, it’ll change your life,” Derrick laughs. “We also do carrot cake, coconut cake, tres leches coconut cake and banana pudding during the summer.”
After sampling everything Carytown Coffee in Richmond had to offer, Derrick and Jeans chose them to provide all coffee at both locations, including a house blend not available elsewhere and available for sale in bags, a dark roast and an espresso roast. “They trained our staff on the machines and provided personal service,” Derrick says. “Having that partnership is great.”
When some of the staff suggested offering coffee flights, the idea was based on beer flights at a brewery. To serve them, the couple ordered four flight boards and quickly discovered that, at any given time, more than four people had ordered flights. “We now have 10 boards,” Jeans says. “And a lot of times, someone will come up and order a full-size version of one of the flight coffees, so it’s a great way to try new things before committing to a full cup.”
With Wi-Fi, both Java Jacks and Egg-Spresso are popular with remote workers, office staffs, retirees and RCC students. A men’s group meets every Tuesday and paramedics meet at both locations. “We’re a gathering place for groups, families and businesspeople,” Derrick says. “Our cafés fill the role of old British pubs: places to meet people, hear community news and have a nice sit-down meal.”
Or, if you’re into it, a nice coffee flight.
Java Jacks Café I 504 South Church Lane, Tappahannock I 804-443-5225 I javajackscafe.com
Egg-Spresso Café I 149 Main Street, Warsaw I 804-250-2026 I Facebook.com/egg-spresso